Last weekend’s ARCA RE/MAX race at the two-mile Michigan International Speedway marked a lot of firsts for twenty-five-year-old Jefferson native Ryan Crane. It was his first time on a track over 1.5 miles in length and his first in a car that produced speeds well over 180 mph.

One would have never known such at day’s end as Crane brought home his #51 Phoenix Construction Dodge seventh in just his second series start.

After Thursday’s qualifying and practice session got washed out due to heavy rains, Crane was forced to a twenty ninth place starting position and only fifty minutes of practice race day morning to get accustomed to the two mile track and his James Finch owned race car. After quickly getting used to the track, Crane posted the fourteenth quickest time during the abbreviated session.

From the drop of the green flag Crane had his work cut out for him coming from the rear of the field. Crane and fellow short track racer Brian Ickler worked in tandem slicing their way through the forty one car field. Early on, Crane did an excellent job dodging an accordion style restart which saw several cars stack up and spin just missing the #51 machine.

“We had a pretty decent day I thought,” Crane, who currently calls Panama City, Florida home, said. “Each lap I was learning something new and learning on communicating with the team on what the car needed to make it faster."

For more on this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Jackson Herald.